Garment having targeted non-slip regions

ABSTRACT

A garment including leg coverings comprising at least a pelvic region, two thigh regions, and at least one slip-resistant region provided on the surface of the leg coverings at a location to be targeted for contact by at least one body part of a person not wearing the garment.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/557,316, filed Sep. 12, 2017 and entitled “Garment Having Targeted Non-Slip Regions,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/586,526, filed Nov. 15, 2017 and entitled “Garment Having Targeted Non-Slip Regions,” and U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/626,202, filed Nov. 15, 2017 and entitled “Pants Having Targeted Non-Slip Regions,” the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Cheerleading is an activity that involves two or more athletes lifting, tossing, flipping, and/or catching one another in different stunts. When executed correctly, the stunts appear easy, but learning them can be difficult. Furthermore, athletes normally perspire during practice, which can create slippery surfaces on their bodies (e.g., hands, hips, legs, and/or feet) that, when making physical contact with other athletes, compounds the difficulty of mastering these stunts. Presently, cheerleaders wear conventional shorts, leggings, or sweatpants during cheerleading practice. When worn for cheerleading practice, the disadvantages of such garments include the garments becoming soaked with perspiration and a lack of slip-resistant regions in areas of the garments where the garments come into contact with the hands, hips, legs, and/or feet of other cheerleaders. As a consequence, cheerleaders can experience varying degrees of difficulty in grasping and supporting other cheerleaders when performing stunts. This, is turn, can lead to slippage where the hands, hips, legs, and/or feet of cheerleaders physically contact or are physically contacted by other cheerleaders, which, in turn, can lead to the dropping of, falls by, and even injury to cheerleaders that are lifted, tossed, flipped, and/or caught by other cheerleaders during these stunts.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to garments and, more specifically, to garments having strategically located or targeted non-slip regions for cheerleading training.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present disclosure provides for a garment comprising leg coverings comprising two hip regions and two thigh regions and at least one slip-resistant region provided on the surface of the leg coverings at a location to be targeted for contact by at least one body part of a person not wearing the garment.

In one aspect of this embodiment, the at least one slip-resistant region can be provided on the surface of the pelvic region of the leg coverings. It is understood that the pelvic region comprises that region of the body immediately above the hip bones to where the torso connects with the legs, with the hips forming lateral parts thereof. In another aspect of this embodiment, the at least one slip-resistant region can be provided on the surface of one or both of the thigh regions of the leg coverings. In certain embodiments, the at least one slip-resistant region can be located on a lateral side of the surface of one or both of the thigh regions of the leg coverings. In certain other embodiments, the at least one slip-resistant region provided on the surface of the pelvic region of the leg coverings is contiguous with the at least one slip-resistant region provided on the surface of one or both of the thigh regions of the leg coverings.

In another aspect of this embodiment, the leg coverings further comprise two lower leg regions and the at least one slip-resistant region can be provided on the surface on one or both of the lower leg regions of the leg coverings. In certain embodiments, the at least one slip-resistant region can substantially surround the surround of one or both of the lower leg regions of the leg coverings

In another aspect of this embodiment, the at least one slip-resistant region can comprise a plurality of protrusions defining a textured surface on the leg coverings. In certain embodiments, the protrusions can be fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and any combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the protrusions can be attached to or formed on the leg coverings by a spunbond process. In certain embodiments, the protrusions can be about 2 to 3 mm in diameter. In certain embodiments, the protrusions can be about 1 to 2 mm in height. In certain embodiments, the protrusions can be are arranged in a uniform pattern. In certain other embodiments, the protrusions can be arranged in a random pattern. In certain embodiments, the protrusions can be spaced from one another by a distance of about 4 to 6 mm, center to center, when the leg coverings are in an unstretched state. In certain embodiments, the protrusions can be spaced from one another by a distance of about 6 to 8 mm, center to center, when the leg coverings are in a stretched state.

In another aspect of this embodiment, the leg coverings can be fabricated from a material comprising a blend of nylon and spandex. In certain embodiments, the blend comprises about 80% nylon and about 20% spandex by weight. In another aspect of this embodiment, the leg coverings can be fabricated from a material comprising a blend of polyester and spandex. In certain embodiments, the blend comprises about 80% polyester and about 20% spandex by weight.

In another aspect of this embodiment, the leg coverings can be leggings. In another aspect of this embodiment, the leg coverings can be shorts.

In accordance with these embodiments, the present disclosure provides for garments, which can be in the form of, for example, leggings or shorts, that a cheerleading athlete can wear during practice and/or competition that enhances the cheerleading learning process. The garments include enhanced gripping or slip-resistant areas where the athlete and other athletes can learn better hand, hip, leg, and foot placements and body positions. The garments are designed to help cheerleaders better grip other cheerleaders when performing various stunts. The location(s) of the enhanced gripping/slip-resistant areas assist in keeping the flyer, base, and backspot cheerleader(s) safer by providing for better grips amongst the cheerleaders. The enhanced gripping/slip-resistant areas reduce the chances of slipping and allows the athletes to better learn how and where to grip each other. Applicable areas of slip-resistant material are targeted to coincide with those areas of an athlete's garment where another athlete's hands, hips, legs, and feet touch or engage.

The textiles from which the garments are fabricated provide for a 4-way stretch that allows for flexibility and breathability of the cloth. Furthermore, the slip-resistant material is provided on the surface of the garment material in functional, yet aesthetically pleasing, patterns. The slip-resistant material can be composed of synthetic material(s) that can adhere to the surface of the garment material and provides for enhanced gripping areas corresponding to proper grip placements for different stunts. In addition, the slip-resistant material on the garments can be tailored for each specific athlete in a stunt or combined together on one garment. For example, flyer cheerleader leggings could have the slip-resistant material on the pelvic region, thighs, and lower legs, and base cheerleader leggings or shorts could have the slip-resistant material on the pelvic region, hip and/or thigh areas.

Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing embodiments of the invention, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, there are shown in the drawings exemplary embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the present application is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a garment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a left side view of the garment of FIG. 1 showing the placement of a hand on a slip-resistant region of the garment;

FIG. 5 is a front view of several cheerleaders performing a stunt with base and backspot cheerleaders holding aloft a flyer cheerleader wearing the garment of FIG. 1, wherein the base and backspot cheerleaders are shown gripping lower leg portions of a slip-resistant region of the garment worn by the flyer cheerleader;

FIG. 6 is a front view of several cheerleaders performing another stunt with two base cheerleaders supporting a flyer cheerleader wearing the garment of FIG. 1, wherein the base cheerleaders are also shown wearing the garment of FIG. 1 and gripping slip-resistant regions on the lower regions of the garment of the flyer cheerleader, while the flyer cheerleader stands on slip-resistant regions on thigh regions of the garments worn by the base cheerleaders;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a garment in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the garment of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the garment of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a left side view of the garment of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like features. It should be noted that the drawings are in simplified form and are not drawn to precise scale. Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. Directional terms such as top, bottom, left, right, above, below, and diagonal, are used with respect to the accompanying drawings. The term “distal” shall mean away from the center of a body. The term “proximal” shall mean closer towards the center of a body and/or away from the “distal” end. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the identified element and designated parts thereof. The words “right,” “left,” “lower,” and “upper” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Such directional terms used in conjunction with the following description of the drawings should not be construed to limit the scope of the subject application in any manner not explicitly set forth. Additionally, the term “a,” as used in the specification, means “at least one.” The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

“About” as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, is meant to encompass variations of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, or ±0.1% from the specified value, as such variations are appropriate.

“Substantially,” as used herein, shall mean considerable in extent, largely, but not wholly, that which is specified, or an appropriate variation therefrom as is acceptable within the field of art.

Throughout the present application, various aspects thereof can be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the subject disclosure. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range, such as from 1 to 6, should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges, such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 2.7, 3, 4, 5, 5.3, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages and characteristics of embodiments of the present invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, in light of the description herein, that the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown a garment 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Garment 10 comprises leg coverings 12 configured to cover the pelvic region, buttocks, legs and, optionally, the waist of a user, such as a cheerleader. Garment 10 further comprises at least one slip-resistant region 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, and 14 d provided on the leg coverings 12 at location(s) to be targeted for contact by at least one body part, including, without limitation, the hands, hips, legs, and feet of a person not wearing the garment, as described in further detail below. In one embodiment, leg coverings 12 are leggings.

Slip-resistant regions 14 a and 14 b each include a pelvic portion 16 located at opposite sides of the pelvic region of garment 10. Slip-resistant regions 14 a and 14 b also include thigh portions 18 located at the thigh regions of garment 10. The thigh portions 18 are located on lateral sides of the thigh regions of the garment 10 and the pelvic portions 16 and the thigh portions 18 are contiguous. It is to be understood, however, that the pelvic portions 16 need not necessarily be contiguous with the thigh portions 18. Slip resistant regions 14 c and 14 d are located at lower leg portions 20 of the garment 10. As illustrated, slip resistant regions 14 c and 14 d cover, and preferably surround, a substantial portion of the lower leg portions 20 of the garment 10 to permit gripping by the hands of several persons, such as base and backspot cheerleaders when performing a cheerleading stunt, such as that depicted in FIG. 5.

The textiles from which garment 10 can be fabricated preferably provide a 4-way stretch that allows for flexibility and breathability of the cloth. Garment 10 can be fabricated from materials selected from the group consisting of blends of nylon and spandex and blends of polyester and spandex. The nylon and spandex blend can comprise, by weight, about 100% nylon and about 0% spandex, about 95% nylon and about 5% spandex, about 90% nylon and about 10% spandex, about 85% nylon and about 15% spandex, about 80% nylon and about 20% spandex, about 75% nylon and about 25% spandex, about 70% nylon and about 30% spandex, about 65% nylon and about 35% spandex, about 60% nylon and about 40% spandex, about 55% nylon and about 45% spandex, about 50% nylon and about 50% spandex, about 45% nylon and about 55% spandex, about 40% nylon and about 60% spandex, about 35% nylon and about 65% spandex, about 30% nylon and about 70% spandex, about 25% nylon and about 75% spandex, about 20% nylon and about 80% spandex, about 15% nylon and about 85% spandex, about 10% nylon and about 90% spandex, about 5% nylon and about 95% spandex, and about 0% nylon and about 100% spandex, with a preferred blend being about 80% nylon and about 20% spandex. The polyester and spandex blend can comprise, by weight, about 100% polyester and about 0% spandex, about 95% polyester and about 5% spandex, about 90% polyester and about 10% spandex, about 85% polyester and about 15% spandex, about 80% polyester and about 20% spandex, about 75% polyester and about 25% spandex, about 70% polyester and about 30% spandex, about 65% polyester and about 35% spandex, about 60% polyester and about 40% spandex, about 55% polyester and about 45% spandex, about 50% polyester and about 50% spandex, about 45% polyester and about 55% spandex, about 40% polyester and about 60% spandex, about 35% polyester and about 65% spandex, about 30% polyester and about 70% spandex, about 25% polyester and about 75% spandex, about 20% polyester and about 80% spandex, about 15% polyester and about 85% spandex, about 10% polyester and about 90% spandex, about 5% polyester and about 95% spandex, and about 0% polyester and about 100% spandex, with a preferred blend being about 80% polyester and about 20% spandex. However, the textiles from which the garments according to the present invention are manufactured are not limited to those based on nylon, polyester and spandex. Examples of textiles from which the garments according to the present invention can be manufactured include, but are not limited to, those based on cotton, Lycra, elastane, viscose, or the like.

The slip-resistant regions 14 a-14 d comprise a plurality of protrusions 22 that define textured surfaces on the garment 10 that promote hand gripping and resist slippage by other body parts that come into contact with the slip-resistant regions. The protrusions 22 may be arranged randomly, but are preferably arranged in a uniform pattern. The protrusions may be applied to the fabric of the garment 10 by any suitable thermal, chemical, or adhesive process. In one embodiment, the protrusions are formed on the leggings by a spunbond process and are fabricated from material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride. In a certain embodiments, the protrusions are 100% polypropylene and configured as raised, semi-spheriods or bumps that are about 2 to 3 mm in diameter, about 1 to 2 mm in height and spaced from one another by a distance of about 4 to 6 mm, center to center, when the garment is in an unstretched, i.e., when the garment is not being worn by an athlete. When the garment is in a stretched state, i.e., when the garment is being worn by an athlete, the protrusions 22 are spaced from one another by a distance of about 6 to 8 mm, center to center.

The protrusions 22 may be configured differently than raised semi-spheriods. In certain embodiments, the protrusions may be configured as a plurality of raised and spaced apart straight lines, curved lines, or a combination straight and curved lines. In certain other embodiments, the protrusions may be configured as raised wavelike, geometric, or amorphous shapes. In other words, the protrusions may assume any form of raised surfaces so long as they provide enhanced gripping by the hands and resist slippage by other body parts that come into contact with them.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown in phantom line a hand 24 of a person in gripping contact with a pelvic portion 16 of the slip-resistant region 14 b in preparation for performing a toss of the cheerleader wearing the garment 10. Because of the strategic location on the pelvic portion 16 of the slip-resistant region 14 b and the presence of protrusions 22, the person preparing to toss the cheerleader experiences a firm, slip-resistant grip that enhances the person's ability to effectively and safely toss the cheerleader.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown several cheerleaders performing a first stunt. In particular, FIG. 5 shows base cheerleaders 26 and a backspot cheerleader 28 holding aloft a flyer cheerleader 30 wearing the garment of FIGS. 1-4, wherein the base and backspot cheerleaders are shown gripping lower leg portions of slip-resistant regions 14 c and 14 d of the leg coverings 12 of garment 10 worn by the flyer cheerleader 30. The presence of slip-resistant regions 14 c and 14 d assure a firm grip between the hands of the base and backspot cheerleaders and the lower legs of the flyer cheerleader, thereby reducing the likelihood of the base and backspot cheerleaders dropping the flyer cheerleader during the stunt.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown several cheerleaders performing another stunt. In particular, FIG. 6 shows a pair of base cheerleaders 26 supporting a flyer cheerleader 30 wearing the garment of FIGS. 1-4, wherein the base cheerleaders are also shown wearing the garment of FIGS. 1-4 and gripping lower leg portions of slip-resistant regions 14 c and 14 d of the leg coverings 12 of the garment 10 worn by the flyer cheerleader. Simultaneously, the flyer cheerleader stands on thigh portions of slip-resistant regions 14 a and 14 b of the garments worn by the base cheerleaders. In this stunt, there is a reduced likelihood of the flyer cheerleader falling by virtue of a combination of the base cheerleaders having firm hand grips on the slip-resistant regions 14 c and 14 d of the garment 10 worn by the flyer cheerleader and the flyer cheerleader's feet being in contact with the slip-resistant regions 14 a and 14 b of the garments 10 worn by the base cheerleaders.

While the garment 10 of FIGS. 1-4 has slip-resistant regions 14 a-14 d, garment 10 may nonetheless be configured specifically for the type of cheerleader wearing the garment. For example, flyer cheerleader leggings could have the slip-resistant material on the pelvic region, thigh, and lower leg regions, and base cheerleader leggings could have the slip-resistant material on the pelvic region and/or thigh areas.

Moreover, although shown and described as full-leg-length leg coverings 12 in FIGS. 1-6, the leg coverings according to embodiments of the present invention may alternatively be constructed as shorts, the bottoms of which terminate substantially at or above the wearer's knees, as shown in FIGS. 7-10. More particularly, garment 110 of FIGS. 7-10 comprises shorts 112 having slip-resistant regions 114 a and 114 b constructed the same or substantially the same as slip-resistant regions 14 a and 14 b, as described above in connection with FIGS. 1-4. Such shorts may be worn, for example, by a base cheerleader whose function is to support a flyer cheerleader in the manner shown in FIG. 6.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is to be understood, therefore, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A garment comprising: leg coverings; and at least one slip-resistant region provided on the surface of the leg coverings at a location to be targeted for contact by at least one body part of a person not wearing the garment.
 2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one slip-resistant region is provided on the surface of a pelvic region of the leg coverings.
 3. The garment of claim 2, wherein the at least one slip-resistant region is provided on the surface of a thigh region of the leg coverings.
 4. The garment of claim 3, wherein the at least one slip-resistant region is provided on a lateral side of the surface of the thigh region of the leg coverings.
 5. The garment of claim 3, wherein the at least one slip-resistant region provided on the surface of the pelvic region of the leg coverings are contiguous with the at least one slip-resistant region provided on the surface of the thigh region of the leg coverings.
 6. The garment of claim 1, wherein the leg coverings further comprise at least one slip-resistant region provided on the surface of a lower leg region of the leg coverings.
 7. The garment of claim 6, wherein the at least one slip-resistant region substantially surrounds the lower leg region of the leg coverings.
 8. The garment of claim 1, wherein the leg coverings are fabricated from a material comprising a blend of nylon and spandex.
 9. The garment of claim 8, wherein the blend comprises about 80% nylon and about 20% spandex, by weight.
 10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the leg coverings are fabricated from a material comprising a blend of polyester and spandex.
 11. The garment of claim 10, wherein the blend comprises about 80% polyester and about 20% spandex, by weight.
 12. The garment of claim 1, wherein the leg coverings are fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of cotton, Lycra, elastane, and viscose.
 13. The garment of claim 1, wherein the surface of the at least one slip resistant region comprises a plurality of protrusions defining a textured surface on the leg coverings.
 14. The garment of claim 13, wherein the protrusions are fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and any combination thereof.
 15. The garment of claim 13, wherein the protrusions are formed on the leg coverings by a spunbond process.
 16. The garment of claim 13, wherein the protrusions are about 2 to 3 mm in diameter.
 17. The garment of claim 13, wherein the protrusions are about 1 to 2 mm in height.
 18. The garment of claim 13, wherein the protrusions are spaced from one another by a distance of about 4 to 6 mm, center to center, when the leg coverings are in an unstretched state.
 19. The garment of claim 13, wherein the protrusions are spaced from one another by a distance of about 6 to 8 mm, center to center, when the leg covering are in a stretched state.
 20. The garment of claim 13, wherein the protrusions are arranged on the surface of the at least one slip resistant region in a uniform pattern.
 21. The garment of claim 13, wherein the protrusions are arranged on the surface of the at least one slip resistant region in a random pattern.
 22. The garment of claim 1, wherein the leg coverings are leggings.
 23. The garment of claim 1, wherein the leg coverings are shorts. 